Patients
by JaneyKatherineHummingbird
Summary: An AU of Into Darkness Where Pike lives and he and Jim rehab together and important conversations are had. No Pairing, but plenty of crew as family aura.
1. Chapter 1

"So how's the patient today?" Phil Boyce asked his protege Leonard McCoy.

"Ornery as a mule and twice as grumpy," McCoy reported with a sigh, flinging himself down into a chair in the Surgeon general's office. "Still think he'd be better off with you as his attending. He talks to me like I'm a snot-nosed cadet. Why did I agree to the switch?"

"Because you were going to have a breakdown if you didn't. Jim's out of danger now and you need a break from micromanaging his every scan and blood count. Besides, Chris was getting bored with me. It'll be good for both of you."

"If you say so," Leonard sighed. "You think Jim's strong enough to hear the news?"

Newly awake from his coma, Jim had not yet been informed of his mentor's continued existence due to Phil's concern about the effects of an emotional reaction. Bones had warned him it would be worse if they waited too long. Jim didn't like being kept in the dark. After careful consideration and swearing him to secrecy, Chris had been told of Jim's presence in the hospital and the story behind it. The admiral had muttered a lot and promptly ordered everyone out of the room, then hadn't said a word about it since, which worried even Phil. As if Chris didn't have enough to deal with with his nearly destroyed insides, PTSD, and the hot mess that was Starfleet.

"Soon," Phil said slyly. "I've hinted that good behavior will result in a happy surprise."

"And he fell for that?" Leonard said, eyebrow raising skeptically. "I've tried bribery many a time and it never works on that infant Captain."

"It's the novelty of a new face, I think," he said. "He doesn't know what to make of me and is more reluctant to push back."

"More power to ya, then," Leonard smiled tiredly. "I wish Pike was like that."

"Just remind him who has the power to clear him for duty," Boyce suggested. "He may bitch and moan, but he's in our turf, and all his ordering and posturing isn't worth a hill of beans right now."

Leonard nodded. "I'll remember that the next time he tries to pull rank on me."

One of The subjects of their discussion was glowering darkly at the window of his room, wishing he could get up and look out it. He wanted to see for himself what the damage to the city was, but he was still too weak to even sit up for very long. He'd contented himself with listening to an audiobook, but even that got old after awhile. James T. Kirk had a lot of guilt going on and he was mentally going over and harshly critiquing every one of his actions since the Daystrom attack. Spock's logic had done little good to convince him he wasn't to blame for all the tragedy and loss of life. He'd lost 55 crewmembers in Khan's attacks and felt the number deeply, though it was but a drop in the bucket compared to the casualties in San Francisco. Jim hadn't been responsible for those people, though.

"You're going to get yourself and everyone under your command killed." Pike had warned him, but he'd arrogantly boasted that he hadn't yet lost anyone. Jim cringed inwardly at the memory. He'd been a cocky fool to think like that. He wished more than anything he could turn back time and actually listened to Chris more, maybe told him how much he'd meant to him. It was too late now.

The lump in his throat returned as he remembered seeing Pike get hit while trying to help an injured woman out of the line of Fire. He would hurt from that loss for a long time.

"Hey, Jim, guess what time it is?"

Jim sighed at the sound of Boyce's voice. He was already sick of doctors and hospitals, much as he thought Boyce was a great guy.

"Time For That tasteless brown sludge and the Hypo Of Death?" He guessed tiredly. Mealtimes were a chore for Jim, whose stomach could only handle the blandest of broths.

"You catch on quickly," the Doctor observed with a wry smile as he approached Jim's bed. "But since you've behaved yourself so well, I'm going to be able to give you the very good news I promised when we're done."

This piqued Jim's interest and he obediently are the brown goop without complaint, though with plenty of grimaces. The "hypo of death" was supposed to help his system not war against the serum in his blood and it was far worse than anything Bones had given him.

"I'll never complain about normal hypos ever again," He gritted Out, once it was over and he'd stopped seeing stars.

"I'll tell Len you said that," Phil said with a knowing smile. "He won't believe it for a second."

"Probably not,"Jim admitted, with a wry smile. He missed Bones being around, but supported the change due to worry over his friend's exhaustion. Bones was going to put himself in the hospital if he kept up at the rate he was going.

"So, what's the huge news you've been saying I was too delicate to hear?" He asked curiously.

Phil went still and looked at him very seriously and actually sat down beside him.

"You're Probably going to freak out on me for not telling you sooner, but the freak out won't be as detrimental to your health now."

Jim was really curious now. "Spill it." He ordered.

Phil was quiet for a moment then said, "Jim, you aren't the only one to miraculously survive certain death. The med Team was able to revive Chris after the Daystrom attack."

Jim turned pale and gripped the bed rail tightly.

"What? How was that even possible? He had a good sized hole in him. No pulse," The Captain said hoarsely.

"A lot of surgery, transfusions, organ regrowth and such. It was touch and go for a long time. He was in and out for almost as long as you were."

"But, he's alive?" Jim asked, wonder, disbelief, and hope in his question.

"Yes, very much so," Phil told him gently.

Jim had to look away for a minute to hide the evidence of his suddenly wet eyes as he processed this news. Against all odds, Pike was alive. There was time for a second chance after all.

"Can I see him?" He inquired, when he could speak again.

"Neither Of you are fit to be moved yet, but we're working on a solution to that problem. Chris is very anxious to see you, as well."

"He been giving you trouble?" Jim asked, a grin spreading over his face. He remembered how Chris had handled long hospitalization previously: NOT WELL.

"Yeah, But McCoy and I switched so he's Len's problem for now." Phil sounded a little too gleeful over this fact and Jim couldn't wait to get the scoop from Bones.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where in the heck do you think you're going?"

Leonard McCoy stood in the doorway of Chris Pike's room, matching the Admiral's glare with his own. He'd caught the man in the attempt of getting out of bed for the fortieth time and it was getting old fast.

"I'm going stir crazy in this place, that's where I'm going!" Chris snapped. "I need to see Jim!"

"And you will, but not by yourself and certainly not on your feet. Do you want to undo all that hard work?"

"He's on the same hallway! It can't do that much harm!" The Admiral insisted, setting his jaw. "I'm not that fragile!"

"As an actual medical professional, I beg to differ. Now sit back before you hurt yourself."

Chris didn't move. The stare down lasted two whole minutes before his body told him the doctor was right and he very reluctantly and with great effort swung his legs back into the bed. He hated being crippled. He hated the stupid bland hospital room. He hated the disgusting pig slop they served. He hated the hard bed. He hated not being able to do his job. Most of all, he hated being alone with his thoughts, which were not pretty. The dreams didn't help, either.

McCoy tucked him back in and got everything put back where it should be before he could protest again.

"You're making great progress, Admiral, but it's still too soon to start walking around. Phil and I have a plan to make sure you see Jim all you want, but you have to cooperate or it can't happen."

Chris snorted out his disdain and crossed his arms, reminding Leonard too much of a certain pouty Captain when he didn't get his way.

"You don't need to talk down to me, Dr. McCoy," he gritted out. "I'm not a child."

"Then quit acting like one. I swear, you and Jim are way too much alike for my comfort," McCoy said, scanning Chris with that blasted tricorder.

"So he's giving Phil just as much grief? I hope so," Chris muttered ungraciously. He was still annoyed at having been dumped off on McCoy, thus making his nefarious plans of rebellion so much more difficult.

McCoy frowned. "Jim's in no condition to be giving anybody grief right now. I'd welcome it if he did, because that means he's feeling like himself. You're not much better, but you're bitching because you hate hospitals."

"Probably because I spent half a year in one," Chris grumbled.

"Can't blame you, but I'd recommend you not make enemies out of all the nurses in the meantime. They're trying to do their jobs."

This rebuke was well-deserved and Chris knew it.

"So, how can I see Jim without leaving my blasted room?" He asked.

"Technology," Leonard answered. "In a couple days, we'll see about getting you a hover chair so you can visit in person. Until then, well, you can chat over a screen. Phil and I, with some help from Scotty, have it rigged up and about ready to go. He's going to comm me when Jim's awake next and ready to talk."

Chris was pacified for the moment, but couldn't help but worry about Jim. From the little he'd been told, The kid had miraculously been brought back to life after taking a thorough dose of radiation poisoning. Who knew how his body would recover? Or if?

He and Jim had some unfinished business between them and he wanted to tell him how he regretted that his almost last words to Kirk had been to blow off the man's warning. He was still angry with himself for that one. Kirk never made a fuss like that for no reason and he'd known it.

"Tell the kid I'll see him soon," he told Leonard. "He's got a lot of 'splainin' to do."

"He's probably thinking the same thing about you, Sir. He took your supposed Death really hard," Leonard warned.

"So I heard," Chris sighed. "All the more reason to talk to him."

When Phil sent the okay, Leonard and Scotty set up the video connection between the two rooms. presently Jim's face was visible on screen, a sight that sobered Chris up instantly with how frail the captain looked.

Nevertheless, Jim broke out in a grin as he recognized Chris.

"So I'm not the only one who has nine lives, huh?"

"Apparently Not," Chris agreed. "Good to see you again, son."

Jim swallowed hard and seemed to be unable to speak for the moment so Chris kept going.

"I suppose it would be insensitive to say you look like death warmed over."

"Probably, but it's the truth," Jim said with another grin. "The cute nurses look at me with pity rather than awestruck admiration. I've lost my mojo. What about you?"

"Haven't had any for decades, son," Chris said ruefully. "But what in the world were you doing, running into a warp core?"

"Making up for my idiot decisions and protecting my family," The captain answered bluntly. "You were right about me, Chris. I was arrogant, and stubborn and nearly got everybody killed. I'm sorry I disappointed you."

Jim looked away briefly and Chris saw the vulnerable side coming out. He looked genuinely regretful, where as before, he'd only been annoyed at having been called out on his lie.

"The only part that disappointed me was the lying and cockiness. They threw you into that position far earlier than normal and of course, there's a pretty steep learning curve involved. But Jim, I couldn't be any prouder of you if you were my own son. Don't you ever forget that."

Jim blinked hard and rapidly. "You mean that?" He rasped.

"Every word," Chris reiterated, holding Kirk's gaze with his own. The kid looked so amazed and longing, he kicked himself for not having seen it sooner. Jim had been thrust into the Captain's chair absurdly soon and given just enough metaphorical rope to hang himself. It was an impossible situation and Chris should've kept in closer touch with him. That was all going to change, starting now, he determined.


	3. Chapter 3

Jim could hardly believe he was seeing Chris alive and In person—well, sort of. He was looking particularly chipper for what he'd been through and clearly had more energy than Jim did. The burden inside him lifted significantly when Chris told him he was proud of him, flaws and all. Of course, he lightly scolded him for getting himself killed, and Jim reciprocated.

"You scared me to death there. I thought you were safe and next thing I know, you're right back out in the line of Fire. What gives?"

"Deeply ingrained protective instincts. It's a Captain thing. Couldn't just leave a wounded person out there vulnerable like that. You would've done the same thing. In fact, you did, on a pretty big scale."

"I guess so, but when I thought you were dead, I just lost it. I was ready to prove myself all over again and thinking you'd died disappointed in me…. was more than I could take. You took a chance on me and I'll never forget it. Marcus, may he rot in hell, saw that and took advantage."

Chris's eyebrow went up at the undertone of hatred in Jim's voice when he mentioned Alex's name, but echoed the sentiment. He'd been sickened at finding out what his former mentor had done and planned on doing.

"If he'd been above board, he'd never have put me back in that chair in the state I was in."

Jim was still revolted by the way Marcus had pretended to be the wise protector of Starfleet while committing horrible atrocities and trying to make the augments his enforcers.

He couldn't help but compare the way the two admirals had used "son" when speaking to him: With Chris, it was genuine caring, with Marcus, it was a "do as I say or else," warning one would give to a misbehaving child.

"I'm still stunned at the depth of his crimes," Pike admitted. "I knew something was off with him, but all this…" he waved his hand vaguely and Jim understood he meant the entirety of the situation.

"Yeah." He wasn't ready to talk about it just yet, so he decided to lighten the mood a bit.

"You been behaving yourself for Bones?"

"Just enough So he won't rant at me." Chris said with a put-upon sigh. "I hate hospitals."

"I remember," Jim said, a grin pulling up one corner of his mouth. "And I share your frustrations. Phil gives me these awful shots everyday. I swear, I about pass out every time and you know my pain tolerance is pretty high."

"Hmm-Hmm," Chris responded. "I remember having to wrestle you to medical because you claimed your concussion and broken wrist "wasn't that bad." Crazy kid."

The affection in his voice was clear and Jim grinned. Boy, he'd missed this kind of conversation.

"Phil treating you well?"

"Other than the shots, yeah," Jim responded. "I'm not used to having a doctor with a bedside manner. It's kind of weird."

"I heard that, infant!" Leonard's voice chimed in as he briefly appeared beside Chris to scowl at Jim. "You could say I'm not used to treating patients who act like grown men."

Jim clutched his chest in mock hurt.

"Bones! I'm not that bad!"

"Yeah, you are," The doctor corrected. "But if it's any consolation, Chris is just as aggravating. He tries to escape all the time. I've had to put up a force field in the doorway."

"Shut up, McCoy," Chris scowled, but it was too late. Jim's pale face was suddenly covered with a smug grin, the one that annoyed his mentor the most.

"And he thinks I'M bad!" He exclaimed, with a weak chuckle. Despite his bed bound state, Jim already felt lighter having spoken to Chris and seeing him alive with his own two eyes. Knowing that he was also irritated with the hospital restrictions, was, strangely comforting. They'd be doing plenty of commiserating during their stay. Chris's scowl dropped and his expression softened as though he read Jim's thoughts.

"Glad to have you back with us, son," he said quietly.

"I'd definitely day the same for you, D—I mean Chris."

Jim flushed suddenly and looked away, hoping Chris wouldn't notice the slip. Subconsciously, he'd been thinking of the man as the father he'd never had, but he was petrified of Chris being weirded out or uncomfortable with the idea. Luckily, the Admiral didn't appear to have noticed and got him talking about ship related stuff until Phil came in and told them Jim had had enough for one day.

"I hate to break this up, Chris, but The Captain's about ready to conk out on us. Time to sign off."

Jim only managed a feeble protest before an enormous yawn overtook him, obliterating any argument he could have made to the contrary.

"Sleep tight, Jim," Chris said with a fond smile. "We'll talk again soon. That's a promise."

"Night," Jim murmured just before Boyce reached over and ended the connection. He was asleep within minutes.


	4. Chapter 4

Chris spent a long time after the conversation with Jim thinking about his interactions with the man and how clearly frail he was after two weeks in a coma and well, being dead. It shook Chris more than he'd realized seeing Jim's condition. He was in good hands, though, between Phil and Leonard and all the Admiral could Do was cheer on his continued recovery. Contrary to Jim's belief though, Chris HAD caught his slip reference and was now hyper analyzing what the kid could have meant to say. Sure it could have been Dad, but it also could have been dingbat, dumbbell, dork, or dunderhead, for all he knew. He wasn't going to presume anything at this point. But if Jim did see him as a father figure, well, he certainly wouldn't object to him using the term. Goodness knows, they had had a very father-son type relationship, with all the ups and downs and conflicts that went along with it. He found it a little eerie at times just how much the polarizing young man reminded him of himself at that age: brash, daring, a fierce sense of pride in his job and protectiveness of his crew,, and quick to break rules if they didn't suit him (find loopholes, was how he'd used to put it.)

"We'll never be able to thank you enough for what you did saving his life, McCoy," he told the doctor who was busy making sure Chris hadn't overdone it. He hated the hovering, but it was occasionally bearable when he needed to talk. "The thought of surviving all that just to see them putting Jim in the ground is…..unthinkable." (And it made him nauseous just saying it.)

"I still can't believe I did it," the doctor admitted. "It was a desperation move, and I pray everyday that the secret goes with me to my grave. Who knows what it could be used for in the wrong hands."

"From what Spock's told me, it's been practically wiped from the records," Chris told him. "There wasn't any leftover blood, from what Phil said, and the augments are currently frozen in a max security storage building. I think you can rest easy for now on that for now."

"Maybe," Len sighed. "It's hard to trust anybody right now. I can't help but imagine Section 31 around every corner. Makes me jumpier than a toad."

"That'll pass. Richard and Co. will rout them out of hiding, I have no doubt. I'd be helping them if I wasn't stuck here uselessly."

He glared at his biobed again. Damn Khan and his high powered weapons.

"Given How Jim responded to talking with you, I'd say you're far from useless, Admiral," McCoy suddenly said seriously. "You can help Jim get better by being there for him and not letting him start his whole "It's all my fault!" routine. Survivor's guilt is hard enough without adding that in as well."

Chris knew that far too well, having experienced it many times in his Captaincy. Feeling sorrow and remorse for losing people was natural and meant you cared, beating yourself up relentlessly because you couldn't save every last one was a one way ticket to crazyville. He'd try to teach Jim the difference before the kid tied himself up in knots over it.

"Permission to come aboard, Admiral?"

His thoughts were arrested by the sound of a very familiar melodic female voice—one he hadn't heard in far too long and still made his heart do funny things hearing it.

"One! Get in here! How in the world did you get here so fast?"

The Yorktown's Captain entered his room and he beamed at the sight of her. Number One looked as slick and professional as ever. She hardly seemed to have aged at all, other than the lines on her face and the silver in her dark hair. She looked him over very carefully, as if unable to believe her own eyes.

"It's remarkable what a ship's engines become capable of when one of it's best engineers finds out her son is comatose," she said. "Not to mention a captain whose friend and former XO was supposedly dead."

She put her hands on her hips and gave him the Stare of Displeasure she was so known for. Chris was all too familiar with it, having been on the receiving end more times than he could count.

"I thought you were finally finished with getting yourself grievously wounded when you landed a desk job, Christopher," she scolded.

"So did I," Chris admitted. "Had no idea the mess Marcus got himself involved in. Have a seat. We've got a lot to catch up on."

He motioned to a chair and she gracefully sat, still looking at him with her wise and somewhat disconcerting gaze.

"The damage to the city shocked me," she admitted. "I still can't get anyone to give me a straight answer as to what happened."

"You've come to the right place, then," Chris said. "It was a long time in the making. Let's just say, we've all seen why trying to control genetically enhanced humans by abuse and blackmail is a REALLY, REALLY bad idea. Marcus thought having an army of superhumans and a secret black ops organization would give him an upper hand in the war he wanted to start. All this," he gestured to himself and out the window, "is a result of that."

"Ahh. And Khan decided he'd had enough and went rogue." One deduced. "Was the Daystrom attack his first act of rebellion?"

"Likely," Chris agreed. "There's been some thought Marcus planned it to get rid of the officers he knew wouldn't go along with him, but given that all but five of the victims were Section 31, that theory doesn't really fit."

"You were so close to being one of the casualties, Chris," she said, suddenly dropping the captain mode and looking at him with concern and sadness. "You are not allowed to get yourself killed while I'm gone. We have too much unfinished business, if you know what I mean."

He did. There was something deeper going on between them, but circumstances and career paths had prevented the two of them from exploring that closeness. Chris wished he hadn't been so cowardly about his feelings for so long, but maybe this forced rest would give him the impetus to figure out what he could do about it. Impulsively, he reached out a hand to hers and and squeezed it to show he understood what she was saying.

"We really do." he told her. "I'm horrible at this kind of stuff, One, but you know that already."

"I'm equally horrible, Chris," she reminded him. "Which is why we've wasted so much time. Now that I'll be stationed around here for a while, maybe we can work on being less terrible at relationships together?"

"I like the sound of that," he agreed. "I've got nowhere to go and way too much time on my hands and you know what a bad combination that is for me."

"Mmm- Hmm" she smiled knowingly. "I heard about the force field and your ill advised escape attempts. Your mind needs to be occupied with other things."

"Are you offering to be those other things?" he inquired in a way that, for him, could be construed as flirting.

This time she favored him with a full blown smile. One's smiles were rare, but exquisite and he felt that strange heart murmur again.

"I could be." she said.

Leonard McCoy was amazed at the sudden shift in his patient's behavior after that. He reported to Phil that Chris wasn't even complaining about the "pig slop" he had for meals and hadn't tried hacking the force field even once.

"I don't know what it is, but that Number One lady seems to take the wily, stubborn bastard right out of him. It's uncanny!"

"She's always had a knack for handling him," Phil said knowingly. "Just enjoy the peace while it lasts."

"Darn right I will," Leonard mumbled emphatically.


	5. Chapter 5

Jim woke up to the sight of his mother looking down at him, blue eyes misting over as he blinked up at her.

"Hi, Jimmy," she greeted him, running a hand through his hair. "I hear you're a big hero again."

"I don't know about that, Mom," He rasped, a touch embarrassed. "I just did what had to be done. When did you get in?"

"A few hours ago. The Captain and I were both very anxious to see two particular patients, the sooner the better. How are you getting along?"

"Slowly," he admitted. "I feel like I did when I had Denobulan Fever years ago only lasting longer. It's frustrating, but Bones says I'm making progress. Sure doesn't feel like it."

He lifted one arm shakily and stared at it with disdain. Winona caught it and squeezed the hand between hers.

"You feel cold, Jim," she observed with a frown. "What is the temperature in here?"

"Oh, It's Okay, Mom," Jim protested, but she'd already gone to get him another blanket from the pile on the shelf. He shrugged and let her spread it over him. Hmm, that did make a difference. Maybe he'd been chillier than he thought.

"There, now tell me what this was all about."

"It's a long story," Jim warned.

"I've got plenty of time, honey," she told him. "It's been way too long since we've caught up, even without the Marcus debacle.

So Jim spilled the story: from the Nibiru incident, to his demotion, to the Daystrom attack and the devastation he'd felt thinking Pike was dead and the subsequent story of agreeing to go on the manhunt for John Harrison, the Kronos fight and him losing his temper and punching the man repeatedly.

"I didn't know you'd developed such a close connection with the good Admiral to inspire that kind of assault," she commented.

"He's the one who dared me to join," Jim reminded her. "Kicked my ass when I needed it, told me I'm worth something on my own merits, treated me like….a…...a.." he struggled for words, not wanting to hurt her.

"Son?" Winona supplied. "Doesn't Surprise me. The way he's talked about you gives the indication he's especially invested in you."

"You're not mad?" Jim asked. "I almost called him Dad earlier."

"Jimmy, why would I be mad that you've found a stable, caring, wise figure in your life? You've never got to use that title for anyone and Frank certainly didn't deserve it. Chris is a good sort. It's good to know he's keeping an eye on you. Have you told him how you felt?"

Jim squirmed a bit. "In a way, but not exactly. I don't want to make things weird if I've misread things and he's bothered by it. Maybe he just sees me as this annoying screw up he's trying to keep in line."

Winona's look was extremely skeptical and a bit sad.

"Oh Jimmy. You do know people actually like you for who you are, screw ups and all?"

"Other than you and Bones, it can be hard to tell sometimes," he admitted. "I was floored when Pike told me he believed in me after the Nibiru debacle. He wouldn't let them send me back to the academy like I probably should have been. Instead, he asked me to be his first officer."

"See? That speaks volumes for how he wants you to reach your potential. I think he'd be honored to know you view him like a father."

"Or think it's inappropriate," Jim muttered, then sighed. "But I'll work on getting the courage up to tell him next time they let us talk. Doc Boyce is as tyrannical as Bones, but he's much more subtle at it. Hopefully, Bones takes some pointers from him in bedside manner."

Winona laughed. "I'll have to go ask Chris if he shares that opinion. I heard the good Admiral requires a firm hand due to his…..crankiness and escape attempts."

Jim grinned. "He's worse than I am, that's for sure. I bet Bones and Boyce have regular gripe sessions about us. Enough about me. Tell me what you've been up to."

He listened in fascination for a long time as she told him stories of the Yorktown's adventures and mishaps, finally being lulled to sleep over a particularly detailed description of an engine malfunction.

Winona sat by her son's side for a while, glad to see him resting peacefully, trying not to think about how he should be a cold corpse instead. She owed McCoy big time for what he'd done.

"I see you bored him to sleep already," Boyce observed humorously, joining her at Jim's side.

"Better this way than with sedatives, smartass. How's he progressing, Phil?"

"Pretty well, all things considered. Some nights are harder than others due to nightmares, but he's gaining strength. Having you here will do him good."

"I hope so. Goodness knows how little I've seen of him lately. The whole journey here, I was hoping I hadn't missed my chance. I can't thank you enough, Phil."

"Don't thank me, thank McCoy," Phil demurred. "He's the one that got the harebrained idea in the first place. All I did was give him a hand and step in before he worked himself to death."

"Still, thank you," Winona said. "Now, I need to go bother Chris for a minute. I think he's had plenty of time alone with One. Mind pointing me in the right direction?"

"Not at all, Commander," Phil's eyes glinted mischievously. "I'll willingly aid in the Bothering of Chris."


	6. Chapter 6

Winona found her way to the room Phil has directed her to. Sure enough, when she peeked in, she saw Chris deep in conversation with Number One. At first glance it looked like a normal work conversation between two officers, but the fact he was holding her hand gave their true interests away.

"It's about time," she muttered to herself, before clearing her throat to warm them of her presence.

They looked up, but Number One didn't withdraw her hand, which greatly surprised Winona since her Captain was known for being extremely private. She must have been really relieved to see Chris alive again.

"Well, well, Admiral. I see you're looking chipper," she observed. Made any nurses cry yet today?"

"No, as a matter of fact," Chris answered with a lopsided grin. "I've been thoroughly threatened by Dr. McCoy and staying on my best behavior. Besides, One here is pretty good at taking my mind off previous petty annoyances. Been getting a good update on the Yorktown's travels."

"Mmh-Hmm," Winona hummed, knowing it was not One's mission reports that had him so cheery. Those two had been living in denial for way too long and she was relieved to see they'd actually quit pretending they weren't head over heels for each other.

"Jimmy conked out on me, my poor tired baby, so I've come to hang out with you instead."

"By all means, do so," he said, waving an arm hospitably. "I imagine you have some questions about all this."

"Yeah, I do," she admitted. "Like how in the world did Marcus pull the wool over everyone's eyes like that? It was a huge endeavor to hide so thoroughly."

"He was a master manipulator," Chris sighed. "He had quite a few other Admirals in on it and helping cover it up. It was a brilliantly executed scheme. Who knows what might have happened if he hadn't pushed Khan to the breaking point? We'd probably be at war already. Your son did us all proud by standing up to him in the face of utter obliteration. Kid's got guts, that's for sure."

He sounded very proud of his protege and Winona's heart warmed at the confirmation the two were so close even after the Nibiru mess.

"As annoyed as I was when you recruited him, I have to admit it's been the best thing for him," she admitted. "I just wish he hadn't inherited the whole noble self-sacrificing trait."

"He wouldn't be a good captain without it," Number One reminded her. "But I agree, it is very stressful caring for those with said tendencies."

She looked pointedly at Chris, who looked slightly apologetic.

"Pot meet kettle," the Admiral challenged. "Don't think I've forgotten how you took a phaser blast meant for me and nearly died on Vega III, or when you volunteered to be sacrificed to the Borxan's god when I was the one who accidentally committed the desecration."

"As we Now know, those incidents were motivated by far more than a sense of duty, Admiral," One responded. Somehow she made his title sound as affectionate as if she'd called him sweetheart, which Winona knew was something that would never happen in public.

Chris shot his former XO a very loving smile and Winona couldn't help but sigh.

"You two are adorable," she declared. "But anyway, thank you for taking Jim under your wing and putting up with him. He's very good at testing boundaries and patience as I well know."

"You're welcome. I'm hoping that our doctors will see fit to allow a face to face talk one of these days. Screens just don't cut it."

"I agree," Winona said decisively. "But How is your own recovery going?"

"Slower than I'd like," Chris admitted, "but I don't dare complain because when I do McCoy gives me a ferocious scowl and proceeds to give a graphic description of what that phaser shot did to me and how I shouldn't even be alive. I've learned to stay on his good side."

"From What Jim's told me, that's a smart move," she answered, remembering Jim's many accounts of falling afoul of Leonard's instructions and the wrath and hypos that resulted. "We want you two stubborn men properly healed before you're let loose again."

"You can rest easy, Winona," Chris assured her, with a happy glance up at One. "I'm not going anywhere even if there were no force fields.

"Compelled by the power of love?" Winona suggested, a merry twinkle in her eye.

"You make it sound so soap opera," Chris retorted, "But Yeah, kinda like that."

"Your endless pining and denial made it very soap opera, thank you very much," she reminded him. "However, I'll save the smug gloating for another day. I need to hunt down McCoy and thank him profusely for bringing my son back to me. Oh, and Chris, thank you for what you've been to my son," she added, pausing and letting her true emotions show on her face. "You're not just Jim's recruiter, academic advisor, and superior, you're his hero."

She left Chris staring after her dumbly as these words sank in. Hero? Really? That seemed a blatant exaggeration to him. All he'd tried to do was help guide Jim along a bit. Hmm, well, it was nice to know he'd had a positive impact on the kid. He'd been horribly afraid he'd bungled it up big time.


	7. Chapter 7

Patients 7

It didn't take long for Winona to track down Leonard and effusively express her undying gratitude for his role in saving Jim's life. The doctor was very flustered and stuttered a lot over her praise, explaining he'd taken a crazy risk and he still couldn't believe it had worked.

"But you did it because you cared about Jim," Winona reminded him. "You could have blown your entire career doing this."

"Yeah. The kid drives me crazy but I couldn't imagine life without him," Len admitted. "He and Boyce were the only real friends I had at the academy. The thought of history repeatin' itself didn't sit well with me."

"You thought they'd do to Jim what they did to George?" Winona guessed.

"Exactly," Leonard said grimly. "They do it enough as is."

"I've lived with that frustration all my life," she said resignedly. "It used to drive me crazy, knowing that all of George's life was reduced to the last twelve minutes and no one really knew him for the sweet, nerdy, lovable goofball he was. I finally realized it was a waste of time to try to get them interested in his real story. People who are genuinely interested, like Chris was, I'm happy to share my memories of George, but otherwise, I just do a lot of eye rolling. I'm glad he has you for a friend, Len."

"Someone's gotta keep the kid alive," Len mumbled.

Jim's wish of seeing Pike in person came true two days later. He had just finished his lunch and was feeling pleased about keeping it down when Phil gave him the news Bones was bringing Chris over to see him.

"It's about time!" He exclaimed, unable to hide the smile on his face.

"Now, kid, I'm trusting that you're going to behave. No getting your blood pressure up or trying to get up, period. Len would have both our hides."

Jim rolled his eyes. "Of course he would," he muttered, but agreed to the conditions.

Presently, Chris was rolled in, looking far better than Jim expected, despite the gingerly way he moved.

"How are you feeling, kid?" Pike asked.

"Better than two days ago, but that's not saying much," Jim sighed. "How about you, Sir?"

"Better than I should be," the admiral admitted. "I didn't know just what a narrow shave I had until McCoy informed me recently. Stopped my bitching cold."

Jim nodded knowingly. Bones had likely poured on the detail to shock Chris into silence. He knew how the CMO could be when dealing with antsy patients, having been on the receiving end of graphic descriptions of what his injuries had done to him many times before.

"He let you up yet?" Chris Inquired.

"Only once," Jim said. "I'm stupidly weak yet and couldn't let go of him the entire trip to the bathroom and back."

The Admiral grimaced in sympathy. He himself hated having to rely on assistance for the most basic tasks and knew that frustration and embarrassment all too well.

"You'll get there, son. It's a lot of work, but I suspect you'll surprise them all with how quickly you get your legs back. You always did like beating the estimations. "Four years? I'll do it in three."" Chris quoted, with a grin.

Jim turned a touch pink, the color making him look much less ashy than he currently was.

"You don't know how many times I regretted making that statement after I pulled multiple all nighters in a row studying for all those tests," he admitted, with a rueful half-smile.

"I guessed it when you came to class looking like something the cat dragged in," Chris told him. "Thought the challenge was good for you, though. You were too darned smart for your own good."

"Funny How Bones says it just the opposite. "Infuriating martyr dumbass" is his favorite insult right now," Jim reflected amusedly, thinking about the many recent lectures his best friend had given him on his frequent visits. Not being Jim's current primary doctor didn't keep Leonard from checking up on the Captain whenever he could.

Chris chuckled. "McCoy never grew out of his mouthiness, that's for sure. He's lucky his captain is so understanding." He winked at Jim.

"Yeah. He somehow knows where the line is and never crosses it," Jim mused. "If I we're a different captain, I'd probably have written him up a few times, but usually a warning look gets him to back down when he's pushing it."

"Now you know just a little how it feels to deal with you," Chris said with a smirk. "You're the master of pushing the line to the breaking point."

Jim had nothing to say to this, only gave a sheepish shrug and smirk. He'd gladly let Chris lecture him all day just so long as the man stayed alive to do it. Hearing the Admiral call him "son" again had brought tears to his eyes. The last time he'd heard it had been in that bar the night he'd been demoted.

"Not to make you uncomfortable or anything," he ventured, "but I want you to know despite all the crap I gave you, I really am grateful for what you've done for me. I kinda started to think of you almost like the dad I didn't have."

He clamped his mouth shut and felt himself blushing, afraid he'd said too much and made things awkward, but Chris, after looking stunned for a few seconds, slowly smiled at him.

"Jim," he said slowly. "I'm honored that you'd say that, especially after the things I said to you."

"They needed to be said," Jim admitted. "I was arrogant and I did lie. I think we both agree I've learned from this, big time. From what I've heard, dads should call you out when you've done something wrong. Means they care about you and want you to do better. Frank sure didn't. Besides, the very same evening, you told me you still believed in me," he pointed out. "Another thing I've heard Dads say."

"Not that I'm an expert on it," Chris said, remembering his many failings trying to figure out how to get through to the kid.

"You were there, though," Jim pointed out.

"That meant the world to me."

About an hour later, Phil and Leonard came to check on their charges and heard Jim and Chris going back and forth in a spirited banter about the weirdest away missions they'd been on.

Leonard noticed that Jim's face was relaxed and carefree, and had good color in it. His hands gesticulated wildly as he talked, a sure sign he was feeling better.

Phil noticed that Chris was engaged and smiling, far more relaxed than he'd been in months as he teased Jim.

"Is my hearing going out, or did Jim just call the Admiral "Dad?"" Leonard whispered, eyes going round as Jim returned the jibe with a playful joke about the Admiral's age.

"If it is, then mine's going too," Phil answered, grinning even wider. "Our patients have finally hashed things out it would appear."

"It's about time," Leonard snorted, feeling pleased for his friend. They all had a lot of difficult stuff to deal with in the midst of the tragedy, but clearly morale was improving in these two individuals, for which both doctors were very grateful.

A/N: I think I'm gonna end this one here! Thanks for reading and commenting! Most of the other fics I've been writing lately aren't allowed to be posted here, but hopefully I'll be putting up some more ship fics soon!


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